Meredith's FOOD & WINE Announces The Best New Chefs In America 2018

Top Up-and-Coming Talents Selected by FOOD & WINE Editors in 30th Annual List.

NEW YORK, May 21, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Meredith's (NYSE: MDP) (Meredith.com) FOOD & WINE has announced the Best New Chefs in America 2018, the highly anticipated annual list of the most innovative and up-and-coming epicurean talent in the country today. Celebrating its 30thanniversary year, the franchise's 11 winners hail from restaurants in nine cities. The 2018 class joins the ranks of past Best New Chefs, including game changers such as Daniel Boulud, Thomas Keller, Nancy Silverton, Tom Colicchio, Nobu Matsuhisa, Michael Symon, Stephanie Izard, Andrew Carmellini, and David Chang.

FOOD & WINE editors chose the Best New Chefs after a months-long selection process in which Restaurant Editor Jordana Rothman flew 37,000 miles to dine across America. The history of the franchise and the impact that Best New Chefs have made on American cuisine is captured in The Tastemakers, a new 14-minute mini documentary on foodandwine.com and a feature story in the July issue.

"For 30 years, FOOD & WINE has highlighted the country's most brilliant, talented, and up-and-coming chefs for pushing their cuisines forward. This year's class of Best New Chefs is one of the youngest groups to be recognized in the history of the program," said FOOD & WINE Editor-in-Chief Hunter Lewis. "We're thrilled to announce the 2018 class of Best New Chefs today and celebrate them on all of our brand platforms."

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Best New Chefs, FOOD & WINE is launching a key initiative today: a mentorship program designed to empower the next generation of leaders who will shape American cuisine. The program begins in New York City with a half-day of conversation with industry leaders, like Mike Solomonov, and past BNCs, like Nancy Silverton and Alex Stupak, covering topics ranging from cultivating a healthy kitchen culture and practicing self-care to management skills and business development. This year's class of chefs will also be paired with Best New Chef alums to form a yearlong mentorship. "Strong, strategic leadership in the restaurant industry is needed now more than ever, so we are honoring leaders and organizations dedicated to charting a healthy, inclusive, and respectful path forward—and sharing their strategies with the next generation," said Lewis.

Meet the new class:

FOOD & WINE BEST NEW CHEFS 2018 Diana Dávila, Mi Tocaya Antojería, Chicago 
Julia Sullivan, Henrietta Red, Nashville 
Liz Johnson, Freedman's, Los Angeles 
Jonathan Yao, Kato, Los Angeles 
Michael Gallina, Vicia, St. Louis 
Clare de Boer & Jess Shadbolt, King, NYC 
Katianna Hong, The Charter Oak, St. Helena, California 
Kevin Tien, Himitsu, Washington, D.C. 
Kate Williams, Lady of the House, Detroit
Brady Williams, Canlis, Seattle

For more information on the winners, click here.

Tonight, the 2018 winners will be celebrated at FOOD & WINE's annual Best New Chefs party at Vandal on Bowery in New York City. The winners will also be featured in the July issue of FOOD & WINE and will be showcased at the FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen from June 15-17. This list comes on the heels of FOOD & WINE's recent print redesign and precedes the 40th anniversary of the brand in September.

Capital One is the Presenting Sponsor of the 2018 FOOD & WINE Best New Chefs program and event.  Best New Chefs event partners include BelGioioso Cheese, illy caffè, Opici Wines, S.Pellegrino Sparkling Natural Mineral Water, and Sterling Silver Premium Meats. Additionally, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of this franchise, the brand partnered with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority on a trip to Vegas for the July cover shoot and in-book feature for this year's Best New Chefs.

Follow @foodandwine on Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat, and join the conversation with #FWBNC.

White Castle® Celebrates National Slider Day

White Castle® Celebrates National Slider Day In Restaurants And Grocery Aisles Across The U.S.

On May 15, White Castle announces slider coupons for all Cravers and retail product expansion.

COLUMBUS, Ohio, May 14, 2018/PRNewswire/ -- On May 15, White Castle invites Cravers to celebrate National Slider Day in restaurants and grocery aisles across the country. As the holiday's official sponsor, White Castle expects to give away thousands of free sliders in nearly 400 restaurants throughout the day. Cravers far and wide can also celebrate with a new line of microwaveable breakfast and veggie sliders, now available in frozen food aisles nationwide. "We created National Slider Day as an annual celebration for The Original Slider® and the loyal Cravers who have spent their time with us over the past 97 years," said Jamie Richardson, vice president at White Castle. "In addition to deals for our fans, we're taking it up a notch this year by increasing availability and variety for hungry fans all over to meet their Cravings any time of day."

Cravers can join the celebrations with friends and family though coupons distributed on National Slider Day. An exclusive in-restaurant offer for any free slider (excludes doubles and waffle sliders) and a small Coca-Cola Freestyle beverage will be shared via email and social media. Cravers visiting restaurants will be able to give back with the purchase of White Castle scented candle for $10, while supplies last, with 100% of the net proceeds going to Autism Speaks. A special coupon for email subscribers on May 15 will grant $1.00 off any four-pack or larger of frozen sliders in grocery aisles.

White Castle's new breakfast and vegan-friendly retail sliders add to a full line-up of microwaveable sliders, enjoyed in minutes. The newest breakfast options include four-packs of the Turkey Sausage, Egg White & Asiago Sliders featuring turkey patties from Butterball®; the Sausage, Egg and Ghost Pepper Cheese Sliders; and the Chorizo, Egg and Smoked Gouda Sliders. Cravers can also enjoy White Castle's popular vegetarian menu items at home with the addition of the four-pack Veggie Sliders and Black Bean Sliders to frozen food aisles, featuring Dr. Praeger's® slider patties.

In 1987, White Castle first launched its frozen Slider products, becoming the first fast-food restaurant to offer its menu items for preparation at home and allowing every home to become a Castle. Recently, the chain announced the expansion of its popular retail cheeseburger sliders into Walmart grocery stores across Canada.

"We pride ourselves in the variety of menu options our Cravers have to choose from, and we're always looking for new ways to reach more hungry fans," said Richardson. "We're really excited to further meet our customers anytime and anywhere with our new retail options and we hope everyone will have the opportunity to bite into a slider on National Slider Day."

For more information, or to find a restaurant or retail location near you, visit http://www.whitecastle.com. 

Hallmark Celebrates a Galaxy Far

Hallmark Celebrates a Galaxy Far, Far Away on Star Wars Day

New Star Wars products available in stores and online for May the 4th

KANSAS CITY, Mo., May 1, 2018/PRNewswire/ -- Joining enthusiastically with Star Wars fans worldwide, Hallmark announces plans to celebrate 2018's Star Wars Day on May the 4th, with new products in Hallmark Gold Crown® stores and online as well as with a social media sweepstakes.

"As big fans of the Star Wars series, we love creating products with the iconic characters of the saga," says Christine Taylor of Hallmark Licensing. "Hallmark brings the wit and fun of the characters to life with products that provide the perfect way to connect multiple generations of Star Wars fans." The newest items to join the Hallmark galaxy of Star Wars products—including those from Solo: A Star Wars Story, which will arrive in theaters May 25—land in Hallmark Gold Crown stores soon. Great new Star Wars gifts expand a robust collection of products that offer clever plays on the characters and famous movie lines. Among new products is an itty bittys® plush character of Lobot, Lando Calrissian's trusted associate. The limited-edition character features his signature cyborg headgear as seen in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.Additional new products include ceramic travel mugs, framed quote signs, and desktop office organizers such as an AT-AT™ themed tape dispenser and Darth Vader™ themed magnetic paper clip holder. Other items, including Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments, will be available for preordering.

PopMinded by Hallmark will also debut two exclusive ornaments including a BB-8™ themed Mystery Box Keepsake Ornament and BB-9E™ themed Keepsake Ornament.

Select Hallmark Gold Crown stores will be offering in-store promotions for the celebration of May the 4th, including a free limited-edition three-piece pin set and discounts on Star Wars merchandise purchases. Check with local retailers for details.

Social Media Fun for Star Wars Day 

This week, posting a photo of your Star Wars collection to Instagram could result in winning a Star Wars prize pack from Hallmark. A post using #HallmarkSweepstakes and the tags @Hallmark and @HallmarkStores could be eligible for the chance to win prizes including itty bittys™ plush characters, Storyteller Keepsake Ornaments, and Hallmark products created exclusively for attendees of Star Wars Celebration. Visit http://bit.ly/HMKinstasweeps for details.

Those visiting Hallmark eCards can send their friends and family a host of Star Wars themed ecards, including a Han Solo vs. Greedo e-card. Also they will offer 20% off ecard memberships to Star Wars fans with the code Maythe4th.

More Star Wars Products Coming Soon

The 2018 Hallmark Keepsake Ornamentline, which features Star Wars characters and starships, was just unveiled in the Dream Book and will be available starting in July in Hallmark Gold Crown stores and online.

The complete selection of Star Warsitems can be found in Hallmark Gold Crown stores and online at Hallmark.com; use the store locator to find a nearby store.

STAR WARS and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. TM & © 2018 Lucasfilm Ltd.  All rights reserved.  All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners.